Authentic Chinese Food at Oriental Palace Restaurant and Banquet Hall

One of the important factors to consider for a celebration is where to celebrate it. It may be for a wedding, birthday celebration, anniversary, Chinese New Year, graduation, small victorious celebrations, or simply to dine out with family or friends whether for big or small groups. Some would consider a place where everything is offered, and you no longer have to do anything but sit down, eat and nurture relationships and catch up. One place I could recommend is Oriental Palace Restaurant and Banquet Hall in Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Oriental Palace Restaurant opened their new location at Tomas Morato last February 2, 2015. It is owned by a Chinese family of a restauranteur. The restaurant offers a wide variety of scrumptious, savory flavors and touches of vegetables to all kinds of meat. At prima facie, you would think that the restaurant is small, but it could actually accommodate a total seating capacity of 800 persons and has a total floor dining area of 1200 sqm. The restaurant is the fruit of Henry Chua’s hard work. It all started in a famous dim sum and noodles restaurant across the Love Bus Station in Escolta in 1978— Wah Yuen (Chinese Garden).

According to the manager of Oriental Palace, Chris Chester Chua, his father (Henry) handpicks the freshest ingredients of the day at the market and supervises its preparation in the kitchen as head chef. One thing that makes the food they offer achieves the authentic taste is because their main herbs and spices are imported from Hong Kong. Also, Chris’s siblings also have roles in the business. See how passionate the Chua family is with their business.

Luckily, I was one of the bloggers who were invited to get a taste of the dishes they’ll be serving in the upcoming Chinese New Year which is on February 8th. This was sponsored by Hennessy VSOP. So let me share with you these mouth-watering, and heaven feels dishes.

Asado Bun and Polo Pao

I seriously wasn’t able to try Polo Pao because I was busy taking photos of the dishes. However, I could really recommend how tasteful Asado Bun was. The bun was freshly baked and they were soft, fluffy yet firm and full. I think eating just the bun will really make me full already. The asado (sweet beef in brown sauce) filling is great by itself.

Steamed Live Rock Lobster with Garlic

This is one of the outstanding dishes in terms of presentation. I like the pattern how the extra succulent steamed rock lobsters placed, and how sapid the garlic taste.

Whole Suckling Pig

From all the dishes presented to us, suckling pig was my favorite. The pork was very tender. The skin was excellent – very crispy. I am really not a fan of this dish, but Oriental Palace made me one. I had three rounds eating this. Hihi.

TBH, I don’t know what this is, and I didn’t even had the chance to taste it.

Steamed Live Twin Lapu-Lapu

This dish proved how authentic the spices and herbs Oriental Palace uses on their dishes. I could taste well-balanced flavors and textures of the recipes they used in this dish.

Other dishes are Steamed Crab with Sticky Rice and Whole Dried Scallop with Sea Moss. The scallops were soft and they feel like melting in your mouth, and the sauce was very tasteful. The crab dish was heavy for me. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t trained on eating crabs (dapat daw kasi magkamay) but the sticky rice was just enough for the dish. It was very savory and flavorful.

Whole Dried Scallop with Sea Moss

Steamed Crab with Sticky Rice

Oriental Palace Restaurant is also the best choice of where to celebrate Chinese New Year. All above are lucky dishes by Feng Shui Expert Johnson Chua for Year of the Fire Monkey 2016. Let me share with you three sets of lucky dishes.

Abundance Set – 15,800 PHP

“The Abundance Set is believed to help bring in various opportunities related to career or business.”

Steamed Suahe with Golden Mushroom

Fried Taro with Minced Seafood

Sharksfin Soup with Seafood

Whole Sea Cucumber with Pork Tendon

Peking Duck Skin with Wrapper

Minced Duck Meat with Lettuce

Steamed Live Twin Lapu-Lapu

Steamed Crab with Garlic Sauce

Seafood Pancit Canton

Tropical Fruits

Prosperity Set – 18,800 PHP

“The Prosperity Set is believed to help one’s livelihood prosper and bring luck related to wealth and status.”

Famous Suckling Pig Cold Cuts

Deep Fried Pawn with Salted Pepper and Eggs

Sauteed Scallops with Celery Black Fungus

Sharksfin Soup with Dry Scallop Bamboo Pith

Whole Abalone with Pata and Broccoli

Steamed Live Twin Lapu-Lapu

Deep Fried Pigeon

Baked Crab with Mashed Taro

Seafood Misua Guisado

Two Kinds of Pastry

Tropical Fruits

Good Fortune Set – 25,800 PHP

“The Good Fortune Set is believed to help bring abundance, happiness, and good fortune. Also known as Emperor’s Set Menu.”

Whole Suckling Pig

Steamed Live Lobster with Garlic

Whole Dried Scallop with Sea Moss

Sharksfin Soup with Braised Chicken and Vegetables

Whole Sea Cucumber with Australian Abalone

Fried Juicy Pigeon

Steamed Live Deep Sea Garoupa

Steamed Crab with Sticky Rice

Two Kinds of Pastry

Tropical Fruits

If ever you’re looking for authentic and delicious Chinese food, Oriental Palace is certainly the place to go. It is located at 148 Tomas Morato Avenue Corner Scout Gandia Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City. To get updates, please visit their Facebook page at http://fb.me/OrientalPalace.PH. For reservations, you can reach them via call at numbers (02) 374-0693, (02) 374-0653; or email them at orientalpalaceph@gmail.com.